I ♥ Autumn (part 2)

It is always so hard for me to let go of summer, but once I do, I just love Autumn. Realizing this year that this could be our last fall in North Carolina meant that I was watching the beauty around me even more carefully than before. And it was a beautiful season.

I am always entertained by watching the ways the different trees turn colors. Some of them look like they’ve been to the hairdresser to get their tips frosted.

And some of them seem to start turning in the inside instead.

I just love seeing more than one color of leaves in a single tree.

The red and scarlet trees are such a visual spectacle.

Beauty everywhere…

If it was our last autumn in North Carolina, at least it was spectacular!

I’m a Missionary’s Mom

A couple of months ago in our presidency meeting Diana mentioned that the missionaries in our zone had a training in November and needed someone to prepare and serve them lunch that day.  She was concerned because the different Relief Society presidencies in our stake had already taken a turn and there was no one left to assign this to.  After thinking about it for a few minutes, I decided that this could be a great service activity for both me & my little kids.  Yesterday, along with two women from the young single adult ward, we cooked spaghetti and cookies and served about 30 missionaries and leaders.

The day didn’t start off too smoothly.  When we arrived at the church there was no one there, but there were 14 (FOURTEEN) two pound boxes of spaghetti.  According to the nutrition information on the back each box held 24 servings.  There were also 4 bottles of spaghetti sauce, each of which had 10 servings.  I was very confused, wondering if we were feeding 40 people or 336 people! 

A few minutes later the young woman in charge arrived.  She had not realized that there were no pots to cook with at the church and had gone to the institute building to see what she could find.  (Note to self: next time follow that prompting and bring big pots to a spaghetti lunch at the church!!)  She seemed very surprised to hear that we would not need all 14 boxes of spaghetti.  I’m still laughing to think of how much spaghetti that would have been!

We got all of the food set out just as the missionaries finished the first part of their training.  They streamed into the cultural hall, happy to see that freshly baked chocolate chip cookies were part of the meal.  Those cookies went fast!

We were all back in the kitchen when one of the adult missionaries came in and told us that we needed to come into the cultural hall so that the missionaries could sing their thanks to us.  I didn’t feel like I needed to be thanked, but she was adamant and so we followed her.

When we got to the cultural hall, all 30 of those young men stood and launched a rousing rendition of “Called to Serve.”  All I could think in that moment was that somewhere, on another continent, my young son is singing that same song to someone else.  It brings tears to my eyes to remember it right now, and it made me flat out cry yesterday.  An ugly-face cry, too.  All I could think was—it’s not fair to do this to someone who’s son has just left on a mission!  And I loved it.

I also loved that my little kids got a chance to both serve and then to eat lunch with the missionaries.  I hope that this will help them feel closer to Jason, and also to think about being missionaries themselves someday. 

When they can make someone else’s mom cry.

If you want to see what else is making me teary this morning, watch this.

My Cheatin' Heart

Tonight I went (for the 2nd time) to a book club that has just been formed in my neighborhood.

I must confess that I felt both times like I was being unfaithful to my D2 book club gals. Especially when everyone there had read the book and it was a terrific discussion.

But I was still home by 9.

So I want you to know that it's with you that my heart truly lies. You are the only ones that I love enough to stay all hours of the night. And it's you that I'll pine for if we end up moving...


(But it sure was nice to be able to drive home in 90 seconds...)

Kitchen update

Hopefully this week we'll get hinges and knobs and get everything else put back together. In the meantime, here are two pictures of the way things look right now.

I ♥ Messages of Comfort — Count It All Joy

In general conference in October, Elder Scott gave a great talk on the scriptures. He said,

Our Father in Heaven understood that for us to make desired progress during our mortal probation, we would need to face difficult challenges. Some of these would be almost overpowering. He provided tools to help us be successful in our mortal probation. One set of those tools is the scriptures.

Throughout the ages, Father in Heaven has inspired select men and women to find, through the guidance of the Holy Ghost, solutions to life’s most perplexing problems. He has inspired those authorized servants to record those solutions as a type of handbook for those of His children who have faith in His plan of happiness and in His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

The scriptures…are always available when needed. Scriptures can calm an agitated soul, giving peace, hope, and a restoration of confidence in one’s ability to overcome the challenges of life.

I loved his talk then, and I loved it even more when I reread it last week and thought how true this has been in my life lately. From the first time I picked up my scriptures after finding out that Russ had been laid off, through every Sunday School class since then, and in every other possible way, I feel like Heavenly Father has guided me to scriptures of encouragement and comfort. I have written them down on index cards as I’ve found them; partially because the process of writing them down helps solidify them more in my brain, and partially so that I have them laying around to pick up and read again easily. Here are the verses that have been providing comfort to me recently, as well as a few quotes by general authorities.

But behold I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. 1 Ne. 1:20

I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that
they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Elder Bednar

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say Rejoice. Be careful [unduly concerned] for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep [guard] your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippeans 4:4,6-7

Count it all joy when ye fall into [many afflictions];
knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work,
that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:2-4

(or a rephrasing of that one from the NIV)

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish it’s work so that you may be mature and compete,
not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 NIV

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heard be troubled, neither let it be afraid… John 14:27

Be faithful, God is in charge.
He knows your name and He knows your need.
Elder Holland

I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another, I say, if you should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants. And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments…if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. Mosiah 2:21

No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character. He is an unchangeable being; the same yesterday, the same today, and He will be the same throughout the eternal ages to come. We have found that God. We have made Him our friend, by obeying His gospel; and He will stand by us. We may pass through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments." ~~George Q. Cannon

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth… 3 John 1:4
(Just a little reminder of the things that are of true importance.)

and my most recent favorite…

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him,
and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Post Thanksgiving Pie Party (and a new low for me)

Last week at book club we decided that we really needed to have a post-Thanksgiving pie party to share (and taste) all of our leftover pies. 

My goal was to have most of my stuff out of the boxes and back into the cabinets, but as hard as I worked I didn’t quite accomplish that.  Must have been all of the pie making I was doing.  I considered hauling the few boxes that were left upstairs, but in the end I was too involved in the last few minutes of our Harry Potter marathon and instead I spread a couple of quilts over the boxes, hoping that they would then look uninteresting and the little kids would leave them alone.

What I did not anticipate was that the adults would decide to hang out in the living room, right in there with my old quilt covered boxes.  It’s well known that I’m willing to entertain even when my house isn’t spic and span, but this was taking that to a whole new level…

Thank goodness there were LOTS (LOTS!) of pies to distract me from my mess!

Now I just need to figure out what I can possibly fit into to wear to church tomorrow…

Update on my Pinterest Problem

Last night Cindy Lynn read my whine about cool Christmas stars on Pinterest.  I’d already searched and searched on google and came up with nada, but she bested me.  Apparently she remembered that once upon a time I told her those were called Moravian stars (I’m so glad she remembers things I have NO RECOLLECTION OF!), and using that in her search she came up with some pretty clear looking directions to make a star here. 

Then my awesome cousin Emily (who was quite possibly Cindy Lynn’s first fan, as it happens) sent me a link to this amazing creation.

I can see I have some paper folding & rolling ahead of me.  My next question is—what kind of glue do I use for these things, that will stick fast?!?  (And no, I do not think the answer is the glue that I just bought and received from Amazon.  That glue is to fix a broken glass vase…Now go tweet that!)